1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium in a state where a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a process unit that acts on the drum is removably mounted to a main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming process. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes, for example, an electrophotographic copier, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer or an LED printer), a facsimile apparatus, and a word processor. The recording medium includes, for example, paper or an OHT sheet on which an image is formed by the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
A process cartridge contributes to an image forming process for forming an image on a recording medium in a state where the cartridge is removably mounted to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The main body is a component of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus except the cartridge. The process cartridge includes at least one of a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit as process units, and an electrophotographic photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, integrated into a cartridge, and is removably mounted to the main body. The process unit acts on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. Thus, the process cartridge also includes a cartridge including a developing unit as a process unit and an electrophotographic photosensitive drum integrated into the cartridge, and removably mounted to the main body. The process cartridge further includes a cartridge including a charging unit, a developing unit or a cleaning unit as a process unit and an electrophotographic photosensitive drum integrated into the cartridge, and removably mounted to the main body. The process cartridge can be mounted to and removed from the main body by a user. This facilitates maintenance of the main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-035003, an exposure unit is pressed against a part of an exterior component of a cartridge including a photosensitive drum in conjunction with an opening/closing operation of an exterior cover. This can maintain a certain distance between the exposure unit and the cartridge.